Cermaq's companies

Cermaq Chile has operations in regions X, XI and XII, and is managed from Puerto Montt in Region X.

Cermaq Canada operates on both the east and west side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and is managed from the head office in Campbell River.

Cermaq Norway has operations in Finnmark and Nordland, and has administration in Steigen, Nordland.

The parent company, Cermaq Group AS, is located in Oslo, Norway, covering finance, IT, legal, HR, R&D,communication and sustainability.

Corporate Management Team

Geir Molvik (1958) - Chief Executive Officer

Geir Molvik took up the position as CEO of Cermaq in July 2016. He joined the Cermaq group as Managing Director for EWOS Norway in 2006 and was appointed Chief Operating Officer Farming from June 2010, and Chief Operating Officer Norway from November 2013. He has broad experience in aquaculture from Hydrotech-gruppen, Hydro Seafood and Noraqua in Norway and from Georgia Sea Farms Ltd. in Canada and Tassal Ltd. in Tasmania, Australia. Molvik was Senior Vice President in Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse for several years. Molvik holds a MSc. from the University in Tromsø, Norway.

Francisco Miranda (1975) - Managing Director Chile

With Veterinarian studies Miranda joined Cermaq’s farming operations in Chile in 2000. In 2004 he transferred to Canada and took on responsibility for the sea water operations and was appointed managing director for Cermaq’s farming operations in Scotland 2007. In 2009 he was appointed managing director for the farming operations in Chile, and was appointed Chief Operating Officer Chile from November 2013.

David Kiemele (1979) - Managing Director Canada

David Kiemele joined Cermaq in May 2016 as Regional Production Manager for Tofino and took up the position of Managing Director in April 2017. Mr. Kiemele has extensive experience in our industry commencing in the year 2000 in British Columbia and also over 10 years spent in Tasmania. While with Tassal he held management positions as Regional Manager, General Manager, and Head of Farming.

David Kiemele is trained as an as aquaculture technician, and studied Executive Management with Mt Eliza through Melbourne Business School.

Knut Folmer Ellekjær (1962) - Managing Director Norway

Knut Folmer Ellekjær joined Cermaq in April 2017. Mr. Ellekjær has broad management experience from the food industry, with more than 25 year in Orkla in positions as Innovation Director for the snacks and confectionary business, Managing Director of the biscuit company Sætre, and Production Director of Stabburet, the largest pizza company in Norway. Knut Folmer Ellekjær holds a master degree in Food Technology from the University of Life Science, Norway, and a master degree in Business Management from Madison-WI.

Thomas Palm (1982) - Chief Financial Officer

Thomas Palm joined Cermaq as Senior Analyst Business Development in 2010. He has over the last five years held several key positions in Cermaq including Finance Director of Cermaq Chile and Finance Director of Cermaq Norway. Thomas Palm holds a master degree (Siviløkonom) from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH) in Bergen and a CEMS Master in International Management. Before he joined Cermaq he worked in the Corporate Finance department of SEB Enskilda and with M&A in Statkraft.

Axel Ranang Gustavsen (1975) - Chief Legal Officer

Axel Gustavsen took up his position as Chief Legal Officer in Cermaq Group in October 2016. Mr. Gustavsen has broad experience from law firms as well as international business. Before joining Cermaq he worked for Aker Solutions where he has held the position of SVP & Chief Legal Counsel. He has also worked as head of legal for Aker solutions in the US. He has background from the law firms Thommessen and BAHR. Axel Gustavsen took his law degree at the University of Oslo in 2000

Board of Directors

Yu Sato (1961) - Chair of the Board

Yu Sato is a graduate from Faculty of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan. Sato joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1985 and has been engaged in food businesses. Sato has worked with various countries in Europe, in Americas, in Middle-East, and in Asia, by being stationed in London, UK, and in New York, USA. Sato was Senior Vice President of Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) during 2012-2013, and has been General Manager of Strategy Planning (Food Business) at Living Essential Group CEO Office since April 2014.

Helge Midttun (1955) - Director

Helge Midttun is a business studies graduate from NHH (Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration). Midttun was President and CEO of Aker BioMarine ASA 2006-2008, President and CEO of Fjord Seafood ASA 2003-2006 and President and CEO of Det Norske Veritas AS 2000-2002. Midttun is engaged in various board activities, and has been a member of the Cermaq board since May 2009.

Kiyotaka Kikuchi (1966) - Director

Kiyotaka Kikuchi is a graduate in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Kikuchi joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1989 and has been engaged in food business. Kikuchi has various experiences from food business including residing in U.S.A. Kikuchi was General Manager of Food Retail Department, Retail Div. in 2014, Deputy Division COO of Living Essential Resources Div. in October 2015 and has been Division COO of Fresh Food Products Div. at the head office of Mitsubishi Corporation since April 2016.

Torgeir Nilsen (1968) - Employee elected director

Torgeir Nilsen joined Cermaq in 2007, and works as edible fish coordinator in Cermaq Norway. Nilsen has worked in the aquaculture industry since 1987, and has amongst others worked for Meridian Laks AS, Stolt Sea Farm AS, and as regional manager in Finnmark county, Norway for Marine Harvest. Torgeir Nilsen was elected as a board member in Cermaq Group AS in May 2015.

Yasumasa Kashiwagi (1962) - Director

Yasumasa Kashiwagi is a graduate from faculty of the agriculture department at Tokyo University Japan. Kashiwagi joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1987 and has been engaged in food businesses. Kashiwagi has been working seafood business since 1995 and has extensive experience in this field. Kashiwagi has been General Manager of Marine Products Department at head office of Mitsubishi Corporation since April 2011.

Haruki Hayashi (1956) - Director

Haruki Hayashi is Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Corporation in London, and assigned as Regional CEO for Europe and Africa as well as Managing Director of Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) plc. He joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 1980 and has held various senior management roles in resource development as well as regional head in Tokyo, Sydney and Johannesburg before assuming the current role in UK in 2013. He graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Studies of Sophia University in Tokyo. He is President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK and holds a number of non-executive directorships at Mitsubishi subsidiaries in UK including Princes Limited, Triland Metals Limited, and Diamond Generating Europe Limited.

Borkur Arnason (1972)

Borkur Arnason joined Cermaq in September 2012 as a factory manager for Cermaq’s processing plant in Hammerfest (Rypefjord). Before joining Cermaq, Arnason worked for Norway Seafood AS in Hammerfest. Arnason has long experience from fish industry and related industries both in Iceland and in Norway. Arnason holds a master degree in Investment Management from Reykjavik University, and a bachelor degree in Fisheries Science from University of Akureyri, Iceland. Borkur Arnason was elected board member in Cermaq Group AS in September 2017.

Lisbeth Pedersen (1975)

Lisbeth Pedersen joined Cermaq in 2015 and works as HR coordinator in Cermaq Norway. Pedersen is a graduate from Faculty of Law University of Oslo, and University of North Dakota School of Law. She has broad experience within HR, both from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, and from the travel industry. Pedersen was elected board member in Cermaq Group AS in September 2017.

2001 The company changes its name from Statkorn Holding ASA to Cermaq ASA.

2001 Cermaq sells Staur Gård and Cermaq’s shareholding in Norsk Kornforedling AS to the Norwegian State represented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Cermaq divests its silos in Hamar, Skarnes, Melsomvik and at Sjursøya to Statkorn AS.

2001 Cermaq enters into an agreement with Felleskjøpene to re-acquire 50 % of the shares in Statkorn AS (at the time Unikorn AS). Thereafter Cermaq sells 34 % of the shares in Unikorn AS to Bygdemøllenes Investeringsselskap AS.

2002 Cermaq, Skiens Aktiemølle ASA and Fritzøe Møller AS enters an agreement selling all their shares in the company Norgesmøllene DA to Felleskjøpet Øst Vest, effective from January 2003.

2002 EWOS decides to close the feed plant at Vestnes effective from April 2002 and the feed plant in Stavanger effective from March 2003.

2002 Cermaq acquires 30 % of the shares in the Chilean farming company Salmones Andes.

2003 Cermaq sells its shareholding of 49 % of the shares in Fiskå Mølle AS to Brødrene Nordbø AS, and Cermaq decides to sell the processing company Aquascot Ltd.

2003 Cermaq sells its shareholding of 66 percent of the shares in Unikorn AS and becomes a minority shareholder in Unikorn AS.

2003 Cermaq decides to assemble its farming operations under the unified name Mainstream. Farming operations in Canada and Scotland change names to Mainstream Canada and Mainstream Scotland.

2004 Cermaq sells Vaksdal Industrier AS and the power plant at Buvika in Skaun municipality.

2004 Cermaq aquires 34 % of the shares in Follalaks AS

2004 Cermaq acquires the remaining shares and gains 100 % ownership in the Chilean farming company Salmones Andes. The operations are integrated with Mainstream Chile. Cermaq is becoming one of the largest producers in Chile.

2005 Cermaq ASA was listed at the Oslo Stock Exchange 24th of October

2005 Cermaq takes over the fish farming company Heritage, and thereby more than doubles its production in Canada

2005 Cermaq acquires the remaining shares of Follalaks and becomes a significant player in Norwegian salmon farming.

2009 EWOS Norway inaugurates a new production line in the Florø plant. The plant becomes Norway’s largest feed factory with an annual capacity of 250 000 tonnes. The plant is the world’s most modern and environmental friendly within fish feed plant.

2010 Cermaq sells out of fish farming activities in Scotland.

2010 EWOS enters the fish feed market in Vietnam, in a joint venture with Anova.